You know that pesky 4pm snack phenomenon, right? Around that time most of us suffer from a serious energy dip, I know I do. What a lot of Dutch folks do (and probably a gazillion others around the world as well) is whip up a cup-a-soup. For years I kept a package or two in the cupboard, while I never really did like how it tasted. Heck, it’s powdered instant soup: flavour-wise you just can’t expect a whole lot.

But that’s the thing: life’s too short to be stuffing myself with things that are only so so when there’s so much great food to be cooked and eaten.

Like this super simple and fast (15 minutes or so) miso soup with Japanese Udon noodles that I adapted from Cat Cora’s Classics cook book. It’s an umami bomb alright. The broth has a very rich and savoury flavour that lingers on the tongue, and the vegetables are fresh and crunchy.

Combined with the thick and soft Udon noodles, this should easily hold you over ’til dinnertime.

Wash your veggies. Remove the Shiitake stem and slice them into thin strips. Cut the snow peas diagonally and thinly slice the carrots and ginger.

Have some other veggies in your fridge doing nothing particularly useful? Just add them, or replace them with whatever you like.

Cook the noodles (without salt!) according to the instructions on the package. Drain and rinse them with cold water.

Add the carrots and ginger to the stock and simmer for a minute or 2, until the carrots are crisp-tender. Add the snow peas and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes (until they’re bright green) before letting the Shiitake join them for 30 seconds.

Remove the pan from the heat. Grab a bowl, add the miso paste and a ladleful of broth and stir until it has dissolved. Pour the mixture back into the soup and add the mirin.

Put the soup back on the stove and give it a minute while you stir in the spring onions. Check the seasoning, add some soy sauce if it needs salt. Don’t let the soup come back to a boil or your miso will lose some of its flavour!

Divide the udon noodles over 4 bowls and ladle the broth and vegetables in there.

Bring the chicken broth to a boil. Wash your veggies. Remove the Shiitake stem and slice them into thin strips. Cut the snow peas diagonally and thinly slice the carrots and ginger. Cook the noodles (without salt!) according to the instructions on the package. Drain and rinse them with cold water. Add the carrots and ginger to the stock and simmer for a minute or 2, until the carrots are crisp-tender. Add the snow peas and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes (until they’re bright green) before letting the Shiitake join them for 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat. Grab a bowl, add the miso paste and a ladleful of broth and stir until it has dissolved. Pour the mixture back into the soup and add the mirin.

Put the soup back on the stove and give it a minute while you stir in the spring onions. Check the seasoning, and add soy sauce if it needs salt. Don’t let the soup come back to a boil or your miso will lose some of its flavour!

Divide the udon noodles over 4 bowls and ladle the broth and vegetables on top of the noodles.